"Well my part in this is just about done," Clarke said to Elizabeth before they got to Robert's room. "I think Abby Lockhart's been assigned for the remainder of Doctor Romano's treatment."
"Abby? Did she have any say in it?" asked Elizabeth, seeing the look on Abby's face in her mind's eye.
"She doesn't actually know yet, but she's in tonight at seven pm. Stuck with the night shift again."
"I'm sure both parties will be ecstatic." Elizabeth said, glad she would be working that night to be able to watch the sparks fly.
"What have you told him?" asked Clarke warily, wondering what was awaiting them on the other side of the door they had come to.
"What happened." Elizabeth said simply. "He wanted to know, and there was no point in beating around the bush. He told me what happened down on the ground, or what he can remember."
"I should take a record of that,"
"I'll fill you in for your record," Elizabeth said quickly. She knew that while Robert could speak to her easily without his pride getting in the way. But there was no way he would go through what they had spoken about again, especially to Clarke, who was quite a new addition to the hospital, and had not been around before Robert lost his arm.
"Right…" Clarke had heard plenty about Rocket Romano in his short time at County and was prepared to take the hint. "Off into the breech then." He said, and pushed open the door. "Morning Doctor Romano," He said in the bright way that most surgeons did after a successful operation. "How are you feeling." Robert would have rolled his eyes if he could,
"Like shit." He replied, adding a "Sorry Lizzie," When Elizabeth cleared her throat to remind him that her daughter was also in the room. "Yeah, I'm feeling peachy." This time Elizabeth rolled her eyes and glanced at Clarke.
"Still got your sense of humour," He said, ignoring the grunt from the bed at these words. "I suppose some would call that a blessing. I'm going to take the dressing off your eye, so I can see what kind of an effect the surgery has had."
"Get on with it then." Robert made to sit upright, but sunk back down when Clarke tried to help him. "Still got one arm," He said hostilely, "Some how I do manage to get up in the morning." After watching him struggle for only a few more seconds, Elizabeth gave an exasperated sigh and handed Ella to Clarke,
"Honestly Robert, you've just had major surgery." She reasoned. "Oh for god's sake, stop being such a baby and let me help you." Clarke glanced down at the young child Elizabeth had given him and watched the scene with interest. The way that Robert did not argue or even make a remark when Elizabeth slipped an arm under his back and supported him while he used his right arm push himself upright. He sat back huffily in the clean, white pillows.
"You should give lessons." Clarke said to Elizabeth when she took her daughter back from him.
"Shut up." Robert said loudly, "Get on with your job so you can go away." Clarke grinned at Elizabeth, who shrugged. She was well used to this.
"Right then," Clarke said, pulling the chair beside the bed closer so that he could take the dressing off Robert's right eye.
"I'm suing if I'm blind." He warned him, as Clarke undid the gauze holding the patch to his head,
"You may not have full visibility right away," Clarke explained,
"I know that."
"I just need you to tell me if you can see the basic things. Colours and shapes," He moved away the patch and peeled off the surgical tape holding the lid shut. "There."
"That's everything?"
"What can you see?" Clarke asked, narrowing his eyes because he couldn't see the right eye focussing on anything,
"A whole lot of nothing." Robert said miserably. "Oh this is just the icing on the cake isn't it."
"Black?" Clarke was now shining a light in front of the eye,
"Like when you're stuck in fog with no lights on." Clarke frowned,
"Well your reactions are fine," He said putting away the light, "There may be some swelling preventing your optic nerve from receiving the signal. It should go down in time if that's what it is, but I'll book you in for a CT scan just to make sure."
"Gee thanks Doc." Robert said sarcastically.
"Your welcome." Clarke seemed unfazed, but Elizabeth thought he would probably be coping a great deal less if Romano was yelling at him for his incompetence during working hours, instead of making sarcastic comments in a hospital bed. Clarke was fixing a fresh dressing on the eye. "We'll check it every day, and see if there's any improvement."
"Yeah."
"I'm sure you'll make it known if you have any problems."
"Count on it."
"And when you're up to it I want you to go to Doctor Delcov's office-"
"Not happening."
"Robert," Elizabeth began,
"Don't start Elizabeth." Robert said cutting her off. "I don't need a shrink. What I need is to be as far away from this hospital as is humanly possible." Clarke shook his head,
"Not for a while yet."
"Great." Robert muttered. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Clarke took this obvious hint and stood up.
"Everything's looking positive," He said, moving to the door, "There's no need to worry."
" 'No need to worry' " Robert mocked when Clarke had gone, "Bastard. What d'you think I'll loose next? Maybe a leg. I've still got two of those."
"This is so unfair." Elizabeth said, sliding into the seat Clarke had vacated. Robert looked at her in surprise,
"I'll assume I'm going to get sick pay, and the room has a TV. Sounds like much needed vacation to me." He said, picking up the remote and throwing it across the room when it made a feeble bleeping sound and the red light died out. "God this place is a dump."
"Robert, do you ever take anything seriously anymore?" Elizabeth asked, annoyed by his flippant manner.
"Course I do."
"It doesn't seem like you do. You're joking about all of this, and it is very serious. Especially about Doctor Delcov. He's very good at what he does." Robert wasn't looking at her, but taking advantage of the fact that the closest eye to her was covered. "You can't expect to walk away from an experience like this without any psychological damage."
"I don't need a shrink to tell me what's going on in my head." Said Robert sharply. "I get enough of it on my own."
"There's no need to be ashamed of asking for help-"
"I don't need help from these people!" Robert shouted, causing Ella to stop her involved examination of her mother's coat pocket.
"I'm going to take Ella home." Elizabeth said, standing up. He didn't look at her, or say anything. "I don't want to argue with you Robert, I want to help you. Whether you want it or not." She added, after seeing the warning signs of retaliation in his face. He didn't reply, and made no sign of acknowledgment of what she had said. She picked up the discarded remote and put it back on the bedside table. "I'll see you tonight." She said, and left. The moment she had gone, Robert picked up the remote and flung it as hard as he possibly could at the door behind her, and sunk back onto the pillows, fuming.
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Author thanks:
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Webster82
Thanks y'all. Ah, mutual hatred of Dorsett I see. Well, I hate to disappoint, so stick with me if you want some Dorsett bashing fun. Tee hee, what should I do to him? It's gotta be good. I'll keep thinking…